Benefits of Outdoor Play and Forest School for Children with Speech, Language and Communication needs
Back in 2018 I trained and qualified as a Forest School Leader with North Yorkshire Forest School Training. The intention was really to move my work outdoors and skill myself in this environment in being able to support children with speech, language, and communication needs . Whilst I am still working towards achieving that dream, here I share with you a few of the ways that I feel working outdoors help to support the children I work with.
Play and Adult/Child Interaction: Children are encouraged to engage with nature and connect with the natural world. This sparks curiosity and leads onto natural play. Relationships are formed as adults are encouraged to use strategies such as following the child’s lead, letting the child choose what they want to play with, giving the child time to communicate about their interests, add language and comment on what they are interested.
Vocabulary: Language is everywhere, I once read it described as being similar to “dark matter”. Yet the risks of poor vocabulary are well documented for children with speech, language, and communication needs. Woodland play provides a highly practical and experiential approach to learning words. So surely working with children in such an environment can only help boost vocabulary skills.
Storytelling: Speech and Language Therapists (SALT’s) may choose to work on a child’s “narrative skills”. When outdoors we can support this in many ways, including making characters using sticks/string/natural resources/clay; making min dens and characters; making story squares and creating scenes within them; making clay/mud faces on tress; sitting around the fire telling the stories with the characters
Emotions: my favourite practical activities include making faces in the ground using natural materials, clay and mud
Friendship and Teamwork: outdoors there is the space to play people games such as “chain tag”, “hide and seek” and “dragon’s egg”; working together to build dens; playing blindfold games with 1 child leading the other on a nature walk using their senses to explore the area, then removing the blindfold and seeing if the child can remember the route; making patterns together out of leaves; cooking together; building a stick tower; making mini dens together .
Sequencing and routine: Sessions follow a familiar routine; cooking and planting activities includes familiar sequences and sequential language; using tools follows a familiar pattern.
Self Esteem and Independence: A child’s self-esteem naturally develops by adults facilitating a “try again” approach; there is no such thing as failure. Ongoing sessions helps build up a resilience to ever-changing weather, as well as become independent in preparing for what they need to wear. Children are included in the planning and preparation of activities e.g. putting up the tarpaulin for shelter; laying out the tools; preparing for cooking, which helps to develop their organisation and self- help skills.
A sense of belonging: as sessions progress children become to be familiar with each other and build relationships, both with each others and the adults. Sitting around a fire, telling stories and singing songs creates a sense of community.
Ultimately I believe with a little thought, planning and the right environment, much of what we do inside can be taken outside. Winter is approaching but don’t let that stop you, get wrapped up and play!